The Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit.

My name is Ned Malise. If we haven't met before, I'm the associate pastor here at New Culture and I'm super excited to bring the message today.

So who in the room remembers being a little kid on Christmas opening your present? We all remember that. In my family we are proud Boricuas. We are very, very Puerto Rican.

In Puerto Rico and in most Latino cultures, Christmas is a big deal, but Noche Buena, aka Christmas Eve, is where it's at. We go hard for the Christmas Eve celebrations. I remember growing up, I went to a church with a lot of Latinos, so the week before Christmas, we would do something called Parrandas, which is like our version of Christmas caroling, but it's way better. Personal opinion. Might be a little biased, but it's so fun.

Basically, it's like three vans full of people, and they show up at your door with like trombones and trumpets and tambourines and maracas and bongos and just go crazy doing our version of Christmas caroling, which is really loud and fun and great. We invade your living room. We sing to you, you dance, and then we kidnap you and bring you with us to the next house. Usually the person whose house is the last one we're going to knows they're the last house. They make this giant dinner and then all 40 of us that have made it there do one last round of singing and dancing and then we usually all eat together.

This is community at its finest, and I love being Latina. It's great. Not only are there trumpets and all the cool stuff, there are people like me who aren't actually musically talented with a cowbell. It's really fun.

But my family used to host the big Christmas Eve gathering for all of our family. Everybody would start coming to the house and slowly as the family got there, the tree would start loading up with presents. This is like the big extended family. We would open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve from all of the family and then Christmas Day you had your gifts from Santa or whatever you do. Christmas Eve the tree would slowly get more and more full and it was agonizing to get through prayer and dinner and socializing and cafe con leche for some reason we have espresso at eight o'clock at night. Like, just let me open my presents. That is all I wanted. We can sing and dance and do all the stuff after I open my baby doll because every year I got a baby doll. Because my whole life I've been a baby lady and I just love baby dolls, baby dolls and princess dresses. That's all I ever wanted. If you know me, not much has changed. Babies and cute clothes.

Gifts! The reality is that we all love gifts. I know some of you are like, no, I don't like gifts. Bah humbug. That's not true. You're just not very good at receiving them. You don't know what to do. But if you got that gift in the mail and nobody was watching you open it, you would love it and you'd be really excited. So it's not that you don't like gifts. You're just awkward about it. That's okay. We all have our thing we're awkward about.

Today we are talking about the Holy Spirit and gifts. As you can tell, I'm excited. I feel like a little kid on Noche Buena. So join me in Scripture today.

We're going to be reading out of 1 Corinthians. It's going to be 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 4 through 11:

There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve, but they all come from the same Lord. There are different ways the Spirit works, but the same God is working in all these ways and in all people. The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way, that is for the good of all. To some people, the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others, the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. To others, the same Spirit gives faith. To others, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. To others, he gives the power to do miracles. To others, he gives the ability to prophesy. To others, he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others, he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages that they had not known before. And still to others, he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person just as he decides.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Dear Lord, thank you so much that you are such a generous God that looks at your children and you give us these special ways to be a part of what you're doing here on earth. I pray that as we move through this message, your Holy Spirit be in complete control and that you give us and we're able to receive exactly what it is that you have for each and every one of us today. In your holy name I pray. Amen.

What the Gifts of the Spirit Are NOT

Before we talk about what the gifts of the Spirit are, I really want to emphasize what they are not. I think we use certain words in general culture interchangeably and synonymously. When we think of gifts, we have this thing that comes to our head, right? So gifts, I think of baby dolls. Everybody has their thing that they think of. I just want to kind of clarify what the gifts of Spirit are not.

The first thing I want to clarify is that gifts of the Spirit are not talents. Gifted and talented are two words that we tend to use interchangeably. In this context, we can't. They're not the same thing. Gifts of the Spirit are not synonymous with talent. You can be a really, really talented speaker, but that doesn't mean you have a prophetic gifting and can speak prophetically. You can be a really, really good singer. That doesn't mean that you have giftings of wisdom where you can pour into certain ways while you're leading worship. There are different gifts and talents. They're two different things.

The next thing that gifts are not is they're not to be boasted in. It's not like collect them all. That's not the way that the gifts of the Spirit work. We're not running around trying to catch them all. They're not to be boasted. The point isn't to get to this point where it's like, look how spiritual I am. I can speak in tongues. I can prophesy. I am wise. Like, that is not the point. The gifts of the Spirit are not to be boasted in.

The next one is that the gifts are not for self. The point of the gifts of the Spirit is to build up the church. A gifted individual, somebody who's received these gifts of the Spirit, the entire point is to be on mission. We use this word called edification. Edification means the instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually.

So with the exception of one thing that we'll talk about in a minute, the gifts of the Spirit are not for self-edification. They're for the edification of the church. The whole point is to be pouring back into the church, back into the people of God, building them up, and seeing the church grow. That is the point of the gifts of the Spirit.

What the Gifts of the Spirit Are

Our big "so what" today is that the gifts of the Spirit are the Holy Spirit at work in you for the body of Christ. That is what the gifts of the Spirit are. They are the Holy Spirit at work in you for the body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are how God empowers believers and ultimately accomplishes his mission of building his church in collaboration with you and me. This is how God accomplishes his mission.

So what are the gifts of the Spirit? We're going to go through a list of some things specifically that are listed in this passage. You'll hear some people say there's 16 gifts of the Spirit, there are 12 gifts of the Spirit, there's 7 gifts of the Spirit. There's all sorts of stuff in Scripture. I'm going to go through the list of them that's in this passage. If you have follow-up questions, we can talk later.

The first one I'm going to talk about, I'm actually going to talk about two of them at once just to clarify the difference between them: wisdom and the gift of knowledge. The gift of knowledge is someone who actively pursues knowledge of the Bible. This person may also enjoy analyzing biblical data. They're someone who can just spout those facts. They can look at a piece of scripture and the Holy Spirit is able to just download knowledge into their mind. It's like, how do you know all that? I don't know. Holy Spirit knows.

Then wisdom is the gift of being able to sort through facts and data to discover what needs to be done for the church. It goes from this ability to know and soak in all this knowledge to then: okay, well, this is how we're going to use this to do something for the church. This is what the church needs right now. This is how we're going to apply this knowledge. They just have this unique God-given Spirit ability to have wisdom for what the church needs moving forward.

Faith. People with this gift have such great confidence in the power and promises of God. They're that person that, like, everything is falling apart but just being around them increases your faith. It's just infectious. They have this ease to believe God. They take the biggest risks and they're the most at peace. Just being around them fills you up with that same faith.

Healing. A capability used by God to restore others, be that physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. I thank God that he cares about our whole being. He created our whole being, and God desires to heal your body, your heart, your mind, and your spirit.

Mercy. This is the defining trait of a person with great sensitivity for those who are suffering. It manifests itself in offering compassion and encouragement and in a love for giving practical help to someone in need. This is the bleeding heart. This is the person who maybe you've prayed: "Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours." This is the person who cannot stop crying every time they see someone in a difficult predicament. Their heart just bleeds with the heart of God for people.

The ability to prophesy. This is the ability to speak the message of God to others. This sometimes involves foresight or visions of what is to come. This skill should be used only to offer encouragement and warning.

I want to pause on prophecy. I think we hear the word prophecy and we think of like the Old Testament prophets. These guys that showed up on the scene and were like, you have 30 days to repent or Babylon is coming. That's what we think of. When we talk about the gift of the Spirit of prophecy, it is now this innate ability to see past the physical of a situation.

We can all see a building, but someone that has a prophetic gifting can see what God wants to do in that building and then speaks that out. They're able to speak God's heart for something. Whereas when we think about prophecy in the old days, these prophets were the entire mouthpiece for God. They didn't have the Holy Spirit the way we do. The Holy Spirit is accessible to all believers. The prophets in the Old Testament were individuals that God chose and the voice of God moved through them. The voice of God wasn't available to everyone. It is now available to all of us.

So it is not that someone with prophetic gifting is like the prophet of God and now tells us turn left or turn right because that's what God said. It is someone that has this innate ability to see with God's eyes and speak what they're seeing.

The discerning of spirits. I think we use the word discernment wrong sometimes. I think we're like, well, my discernment is telling me. I'm like, hmm, I think you need some common sense. Sometimes we use the word discernment when we really mean common sense.

The discerning of spirits is being talked about here. It says: "To others, the ability to tell the spirits apart." The discerning of spirits is not just like, this is right, this is wrong. I think we're a little bit more capable of that than we give ourselves credit for. Like, this is a good thing, this is a bad thing. The discerning of spirits comes into play when you're looking at two things that appear good. They're both good. The question is not, does this look like a good thing? It's the ability to say, is God behind this? Is the spirit behind this thing God? Or is this a counterfeit? Is this something that's coming in that looks like God, smells like God, but the spirit behind it, that's not God. That's deception.

One of the biggest things that we see in Scripture describing the enemy as is a liar. He's a good liar or we wouldn't fall for it so often. So that gift of the discerning of spirits is to be able to look at two things that look like truth and actually discern which one is truth.

And then we're going to talk about tongues. Tongues is twofold and this is the one thing that I was saying can be for edification of the self. Last week, Pastor Abbie talked about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and one of the things she talked about was how that's accompanied by speaking in tongues or speaking in a language unknown to yourself. It's a supernatural occurrence that takes place.

There's one version of this that is for the edification of self. This is the Holy Spirit giving you a heavenly language that only you and the Holy Spirit know what. Well, you don't know what's coming out of your mouth. Really the Holy Spirit knows what's being communicated. This is a really cool thing and a really powerful thing that God has given us. When we don't know what to pray, he prays on our behalf. He knows exactly what we need and he comes in and he intercedes for us in this way and he prays what we don't know how to pray.

I don't know about you, but I've had moments where I have nothing left to say, nothing left to give. I am out of words. I heard someone say recently, and I can't think of who it was, but they said: "Sometimes you don't know what to pray, but that does not mean you stop praying." It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to pray when we have nothing left to say.

There's this incredible gift that comes with the Holy Spirit, which is speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit comes and speaks on your behalf when you've got nothing left to say. That is for the edification of self. This other type is for the edification of the body. It's when it's actually meant to bring a message that's for the church. This is accompanied by someone who has the gifts of interpretation of tongues.

So that means someone could be speaking in tongues and they understand what's being said. That is a message that they are then to give. Like, this is what the Lord is saying. This is a really cool gift that God has given us where he's able to speak so directly and so profoundly. So those are these two different types of tongues. One's for us, one for others. That second one that's for others is accompanied by someone with the interpretation of tongues that understands the meaning behind that.

How to Access the Gifts of the Spirit

Okay, so here's all this stuff. Now what do we do with that? The obvious question is more than just, okay, now what: it's how do I get the gifts of the Spirit? Like, okay, here are all these things that you're saying are accessible. How do I actually access it?

It's going to sound super simple. I'm going to break it down, but I'm just going to say: ask and cooperate. Ask and cooperate.

That first part: ask. The gifts of the Spirit are accessible to us. There's something that is for us. This passage literally starts by saying: "There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all given to believers by the same Spirit." He keeps talking about how he's working in all people. It is for us and it is accessible to us. The only prerequisites, and they exist in this exact order, is: you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you've been baptized by the Holy Spirit, and then all the gifts are yours for the taking, and you can access them.

The second part is cooperate. For example, in order to speak in tongues, you have to pray out loud. You have to be willing to open your mouth. That gift of healing, you have to be willing to respond to that prompting to go pray for someone to be healed. It's kind of awkward, right? It's like, what if I go over there and this person does not get healed? But you have to be willing to go and do it. You have to cooperate. You have to move and act in that.

There's no point in being like, I have the gift of healing, but I don't pray for people. I don't do that. There's no point. You have to be able to cooperate and go and do and follow those promptings from the Holy Spirit.

A Personal Story

I'm going to close by telling a story and giving you guys a little bit of encouragement. Because I want to be really clear about my heart when I say, oh, it's simple, just ask and cooperate. Because I know that sounds super simple, but maybe you're in this room and you're like, okay, I hear you. But I have asked for the Holy Spirit a million and ten times and nothing's happened and nothing's changed. I've been there, done that, and I still haven't experienced any of this.

Last week, Pastor Abbie talked about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is where this empowerment happens. I grew up in a setting where I literally do not remember a time in my life where I didn't know, or at least know of the concept of baptism of the Holy Spirit. We used to have these all-night prayer vigils and all the weird stuff happened. I grew up in Missionettes, which is too much to explain, but every single class had a lesson on the Holy Spirit.

I remember being in STARS, which is third through fifth grade. The teacher always used to go around the room and be like, you need to pray out loud. You need to pray out loud so that you can speak in tongues. She would make us all pray out loud. This was just a super normal occurrence. My whole life I knew what this was, and everyone around me would experience it, but I didn't.

Years and years went by. I was getting older and older and it just never happened. I remember being so frustrated and feeling really isolated. At a time in my life where I had a lot of issues going on, I felt very rejected. Then I'd get to church and it's like, wow, not even God wants to commune with me in this special way. That's how they would explain it too, right? It's like, it's this intimate way that God wants to talk to you, which is true, but it wasn't happening for me.

So does God not want that intimate relationship with me? That's genuinely how I felt all the time. It made me really bitter about it. I was like, I have a microphone in my hand. I think it's all baloney. I don't like it. I think it's ridiculous. If you've known me for ten minutes, you've discovered I can be really stubborn. I like proving points.

I got to the point where I was like, I'm going to prove the point that you can do all this mumbo jumbo and it's not going to affect me. It's not going to happen to me. That was just my mentality. I would kind of put on that front like this is nonsense all the time. Then I'd go home after a service and there goes another person falling out in the Holy Spirit. I'd get home and be like, but God, why not me? Like, why can't I have this? Why can't I have this relationship with you? Why can't I have this gift? Why don't you? You're a generous father but you're not generous to me. So maybe I'm not your child.

That was just the dots that I connected. I remember when it did happen, it wasn't at a point when I was praying, God, I want this gift. It wasn't at a point where I was like, God, I really want to speak in tongues. God, I really want to touch people and see them be healed. It happened at a point in my life where I said: God, I just need more of you. I don't know what that looks like. I don't know what that means. But I need more of you. I need who you are to come and be the centerpiece of my life. I don't care if I don't get any of the cool stuff. I just want you.

I feel really weak and they keep telling me that the Holy Spirit is about power. If you'll give me your Holy Spirit just so I don't feel weak, just so I don't feel like I'm falling apart. I just want more of you. I want more of the God who saved me. And then I heard myself.

I was like, it's happening. I was so excited. Now I look back on that and I'm like, man, there's something about getting to the point where you want the giver of the gift more than you want the gift. There's something about getting to the point, and it takes the pressure off.

We're talking about why we need the gifts of the Spirit. It's true. The gifts of the Spirit are how God builds his church. But listen to that. It's how he builds his church. It takes the pressure off. I don't have to do this alone. I have the Holy Spirit. He's doing his job. He's doing his work in my life. That's why I want more of him. That's why I need him. Because when I have the Holy Spirit, I don't need to do it on my own anymore.

I had a conversation with someone recently. They were asking me: Do I need the Holy Spirit? Do I need the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Do I need the gifts of the Spirit? On one hand, no, you don't. It's not salvation. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not salvation.

But on the other hand, the Holy Spirit is how God works in spite of you. It's how he does things in spite of you. It's how when you are at your lowest of lows and you have nothing left to offer, that's okay. Because Scripture says: "When I am weak, his power is made perfect in me." That's the Holy Spirit that does that.

I was reflecting as I was putting together this message, and I realized that the fifth of this month, which is like two days away, it would have been this Sunday last year. It was the one year anniversary of my friend being shot and killed. My childhood friend. I remember that Sunday. I found out on Saturday. I got a text message, and it felt like when you drop on a roller coaster, like the exact moment you drop and your stomach doesn't realize you're falling yet. Your stomach's up here but your body's down here. That's how it felt when I got that text message.

The very next thought that came in my head was: I have to preach tomorrow and Abbie and Alina are out of town. Worst moment in my recent life that I can think of. I remember that night my parents were in town. My sister and I were staying in their hotel with them. That night I went back to my place. I went to my apartment and I sat on the floor of my apartment and I just cried and cried and cried and said: God, I don't want to do this. I quit. I'm done. Poor Abbie is going to come back and I'm going to be gone. I'm finished.

I went to bed and I woke up the next morning with that same mentality. I'm done. I can't do this. I literally can't get up and preach a message about the walls of Jericho falling down. I can't preach a message about victory when my friend was shot and killed last night.

I remember praying and hearing the Holy Spirit say: "Then I'll do it. If you can't, then I'll do it. Just pick up the microphone."

The Holy Spirit is how God moves in spite of us. It's how we look at a situation that says death and we say no, life. Because that's what God does. He brings dead things to life. It's how we say: I am weak but he is strong in me. That's what the Holy Spirit does.

So do you need the baptism of the Holy Spirit? You'll go to heaven without it. But man, full power, running out of ten, you need it. You need the Holy Spirit and everything he has for you. It takes the pressure off and you let God be God and you don't have to pretend to be God anymore.

Closing Invitation and Prayer

We're going to go into a time of prayer and just kind of response. I had three things. I'm going to add one more. Is that okay?

The first thing is: if you're in this room and you're not in relationship with Jesus, that's step one. Point blank period. There is this amazing, loving God who pursues you like it ain't nobody's business, and he wants to be in loving relationship with you, and that is an invitation that is here for you tonight.

The second thing is: if you've never been baptized in the Holy Spirit, and that's something you want, that is an invitation that is open for you tonight.

The third thing is: if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, and you are in a relationship with Jesus, and you're like, but I want access to those other things. Like Jesus touched people and they were healed. I want access to those things. That invitation is open for you tonight.

The last thing is: if you're in this room and you feel the weight of the world and you just want more of a God that will take that weight off of you. You just want the God that takes every single burden. All of the words we're using and all the definitions kind of fall to the wayside right now. And you're like, I don't know, I just need more of him. That invitation is open for you today too.

I'm going to be in the back. Pastor Chris is going to be hanging out in the back with me. We're going to be there to pray with you if you want it and if you feel like you need it. If you don't, God is so cool. He'll meet you right where you are too.

Dear Lord, thank you so much because you are a good, good God. Because you are generous and you are loving. You meet us exactly where you are. When we're not enough, you are. Thank you for this gift that is the Holy Spirit that gets us from point A all the way down to the end. It empowers us to bring people along on that journey with us.

Right now, Lord, all I ask is that you come and do what nobody else can do. Come and show up and show out exactly the way each and every person needs you to here today. I thank you, Lord, and it's in your holy name I pray. Amen.